Rollinsford

The Col. Paul Wentworth House, one of the earliest and most architecturally significant New Hampshire homes to survive from the "First Period" of New England's architectural evolution, has come home to Rollinsford.

(Assoc. for Rollinsford Culture & History)

Built around 1701, the Wentworth House was moved to Dover, Mass., in 1936. In 2001, the Rollinsford Historic Committee learned that the house had been sold out of the original Wentworth family. The new owner had other plans for the property and donated the house back to Rollinsford for public use.

A N.H. Land and Community Heritage Investment Program (LCHIP) grant was matched by local funds to transport the house back to Rollinsford where it has been reassembled adjacent to its original foundation. At press time, the restoration of the exterior was complete and original portions of the interior, including a corner cupboard, paneling and hardware, were being reinstalled in preparation for the grand opening in late September.  For more information, visit www.paulwentworthhouse.org.

Cornish

Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site is one of 14 sites around the country that have received a grant from the National Trust's Historic Artists' Homes and Studios program. The awards were based on each site's planning needs, the threat to the historic property, its collection or interpretation, and how the proposed project addressed the need or threat.

A unit of the National Park Service, the site features the home, gardens and studios of Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907), one of America's greatest sculptors.  for more information visit www.nps.gov/saga.

(Trustees of the Saint-Gaudens Memorial)

Hooksett

Hookset is the first New Hampshire town to be celebrated by the White House as a Preserve America Community, an initiative aimed at encouraging local efforts to preserve and strengthen the nation's natural heritage. The Hooksett Heritage Commission spearheaded the application.

(Preserve America)

As a Preserve America Community, Hooksett will be listed in a Web-based directory highlighting the town as a heritage tourism destination, and will receive a roadside sign to announce its status.  For more information visit www.preserveamerica.gov.

Ribbon cutting ceremonies for the New Hampshire Aviation Museum took place in September. The museum is the first and only museum dedicated to preserving the state's aviation history. It is housed in the beautifully restored 1937 Manchester Airport Terminal building, a fine example of the Art Deco style of architecture popular in the 1930s.

The preservation effort began when the City of Manchester and Manchester Airport management made a commitment to the New Hampshire State Historic Preservation Office to preserve the building as part of the overall airport expansion plan. For more information, call 798-3915.